The Annual Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee is a Sacramento tradition that conjures up summer, swinging, and saxophones.

This year's festival, the 36th annual, will feature 600 jazz artists from all over the United States and the world, including the Count Basie Jazz Orchestra, a number of featured performers and about 60 sponsored bands from all over the stylistic map.

With 24 venues total, 19 in Old Sacramento and four at the Sacramento Convention Center, the whole shebang kicks off Thursday night at the Radisson Hotel from 8-9 p.m. The concert featuring the 17-time-Grammy-winning big band will be streamed live on Sacramento's Jazz Station, KXJZ 90.9. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 at the door and $25 for Jazz Jubilee ticket holders, volunteers and Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society members.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, people should start lining up for the Jazz Jubilee's parade, according to the website. At 10:45, event organizers plan for "joyful noise" to be played from balconies in Old Sacramento, then, around 11:45, Mayor Kevin Johnson will serve as parade marshal.

Jazz bands, marching bands, "fire trucks, antique cars and limousines, clowns, dancing ladies and cakewalk strutters, military color guards and various dignitaries" will parade through Old Sacramento, under Interstate 5, down Second Street, J and L Streets and back to Old Sacramento.

The Festival will continue throughout the weekend, with music going on from 1-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday. Special events will be held throughout the weekend such as a Memorial Day celebration, a swing dance contest, jam sessions and a closing ceremony.

Along with professional musicians and bands, 16 groups of developing high school and younger musicians will be playing on the Delta King Riverboat, the California State Railroad Museum and the Round Table Pizza in Old Sacramento.

Besides the Basie Jazz Orchestra, other notable bands include Mumbo Gumbo, Tom Rigney and Flambeau and theBenny Goodman Centennial Tribute.

The full schedule, hotel deals, transit information and more can be found at sacjazz.com.

*photo is a screen capture of sacjazz.com